2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2021
Head of Mid-Tennessee Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Fired from N.Y. Project After Undocumented Workers Are Arrested - (11/30/2009)
In a shining example of the insidious nature of the “low road” approach
to construction that has taken hold in the United States and across
Tennessee, the company owned by the Chairman-Elect of the Mid-Tennessee
Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) was fired from a
project in New York after the arrest of seven undocumented workers –
one of whom was also facing a federal weapons charge. Even more
disturbing is the fact that the undocumented workers were supplied by a
labor broker known as Trades Unlimited of Nashville, whose CEO is also
the Vice Chairman of the Mid-Tennessee ABC.
Local labor leaders had repeatedly warned the civic leaders of Chemung
County, NY that out-of-state contractors coming in and refusing to hire
local labor were undermining the area’s workers; its tax base; and its
economic prosperity.
In mid-October, those warnings to the county’s Industrial Development
Agency were driven home with the arrest of seven undocumented workers
from Mexico working for Walker Electric on an $88 million warehouse
project for CVS.
Walker Electric, which is based in Nashville and is owned by Mike Walker
the Chairman-Elect of the Mid-Tennessee ABC, was summarily fired from
the CVS project by contractor Gray Construction of Lexington, Ky.
The undocumented workers were contracted to Walker by Trades Unlimited, a
for-profit agency that advertises its “detailed hiring process” in
supplying workers in many trades. Trades Unlimited’s founder, chairman
and CEO is John Stallworth, First Vice Chairman of the Mid-Tennessee
ABC.
The next day, after a meeting with Chemung County’s executive, the
general contractor agreed to hire seven local electricians to replace
the workers arrested.
Show All News Headlines
